


The Flat Stanley Project

by BalloonArcade



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Brotherhood, Brothers, Fluff, Humor, My Nature Nerd Starts Showing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-07 07:02:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 8,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8788192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BalloonArcade/pseuds/BalloonArcade
Summary: Sunstreaker and Sideswipe get assigned a Human Outreach Project for a class of rural grade two students. The teacher is expecting to receive a photo or two of their student’s paper replicas of themselves with the Autobots.Sideswipe sees the humor potential. Sunstreaker is a perfectionist and can’t do anything by halves.In the end, maybe they'll learn something about this new planet they call home. Or not.





	1. A Flat What Now?

**Author's Note:**

> The Flat Stanley Project is a legitimate school project for kids started in Ontario, Canada in 1994.
> 
> It's designed to promote literacy and spark interest in learning about different places and cultures.
> 
> I play fast and loose with canon and blend universes here. It's mostly G1 but there are some elements of Prime and I've brought the timeline up recent enough so Sideswipe has access to online shopping.

“A flat what now?”

Sideswipe was throughly confused.

It wasn’t often that he was baffled by Prowl.

Normally he was the one doing the baffling.

He didn’t like it.

So he crossed his arms over his chestplate and mirrored his twin’s stance beside him. He could do a good Sunstreaker impression when he wanted to.

“A Flat Stanley, they are compressed likeness of human sparklings. One for each student in the class. A teacher of a class of grade two students has reached out to our Human Outreach Initiative and sent an tube full of them.” Prowl gestured from where he sat behind his desk to a brown tube in front of him.

“You want us to take squished forms of human sparkling around the base and take image captures of them?” Sunstreaker asked, revulsion clear on his face.

“They are replicas that the human sparklings created of themselves _on paper_. They coloured them to look like themselves. Each one arrived with a letter about the sparkling that they have written themselves.”

“Why us? Isn’t this the kinda thing you normally ask Bumblebee to do?” Sideswipe asked.

His brother was still looking at that tube like it might explode.

Okay so his brother was glaring at it like it might explode.

“You two are the only ones yet to complete your Human Outreach Project.” Prowl stated matter of factly.

“I’m not letting any of their greasy, sticky hands anywhere near my finish. And the less time I spend outside the Ark picking up _organic_ debris on my finish the better. Patrols on this mud ball are punishment enough.” Sunstreaker wrinkled his nasal ridge in disgust.

“You got to admit Prowl, the humans have some great ideas, but they _ooze_ , and they flake their dermal layer _everywhere_. Have you ever had to hear Sunny complain when he finds Carly’s hair clogged in a joint?”

Because Sideswipe certainly had, and he’d rather not thanks.

“Have _you_ ever seen what Bumblebee leaves in the drains in the washracks? Sunstreaker shuddered with a pointed glare at his twin as he clamped down his plating in response.

“Your preference of avoiding interactions with humans is known and is precisely why I am assigning this particular project to you.” Prowl shot them a pointed look as he nudged the tube toward them.

Sideswipe recognized that look.

There was no getting out of this.

Well slag.

“The parameters of this project are simple. This tube contains life size paper replicas of human sparklings. My understand is that each child has colored and drawn their own features and labeled the back of each with their designation.”

Now Sideswipe mirrored the look of distrust on his brother’s faceplate.

Sunstreaker had a point.

That tube couldn’t be trusted.

“Their instructor has stated that she understands our time is valuable so she doesn’t expect much. Just a few photos of the children’s “flat friends,” as she put it, among a few Autobots to prove they were here. Then you simply mail them back.” Prowl stated as he leaned forward and he linked his finger tips together in front of him.

Definitely not getting out of this.

“We do this and we’re done?” Sunstreaker stated through clenched denta.

“Prime was clear in his expectations that each member of the Autobots participate in a human outreach project. This is the best I can offer you.”

Sideswipe gave an over dramatic sigh and grabbed the tube from the desk.

“Fine. Let’s get this over with Sunny.”

Sunstreaker smacked his twin at the back of his helm as they left.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Would you prefer Big Ol’ Sunshine of Doom and Glo - Ow! Fraggit, that hurt, I think I’m bleeding.”

“Good.”


	2. All That Glitters

The Twin’s quarters had two rooms despite them not being officers. 

In fact they had been assigned adjacent rooms because Prowl was hoping to minimize their bickering.

They had lasted half of a night cycle before Sunstreaker blew a hole in the wall that separated them.

Sideswipe had been blasted backwards because he had been just about to use his pile drivers to do the same thing. 

That night they ended up on adjacent berths in the Medbay with no wall between them.

Now they had a berth room where they had stacked their berths into bunkbeds and a game room with a couch and worktable cluttered with tools.

Sideswipe had boxes of random bits and pieces of things he’d ordered online shoved in the one corner Sunstreaker allowed him to keep unkempt.

Here Sideswipe would come up with pranks and Sunstreaker would help sketch out schematics of a device Sideswipe invented - or in most cases - liberated and modified from the science labs.

Wheeljack had all the best toys, and surprisingly Skyfire had some interesting things that made it worth it to poke around his lab from time to time.

Okay they had only started to do that after Sideswipe blew off his arm with the last thing they stole from Wheeljack.

Ratchet had been livid. 

Still worth it. 

In their spare room they poured out the contents of the tube on to the table they typically used to rest their pedes as they played videogames on the liberated monitor screen they had obtained from Red Alert’s station.

Sunstreaker flipped through a few of the supposed paper replicas, the artwork supposedly depicting each human sparkling’s characteristics.

“Not exactly talented are they?” Sunstreaker stated, nasal ridge wrinkled as if he had smelled curdled energon. 

He curled up the corner of his lip as he used two digits to lightly pick one up. Holding it as far from his frame as his arm would allow, he took in the features of one.

“Aren’t all humans suppose to have a nasal cavity and audio receptors on the sides of their…heads?” He squinted his optics at the offending bit of paper.

Sideswipe picked up a few of his own.

“Maybe human sparklings develop them later, looks like only half of them have noses.” He observed.

There was a pile of rectangular paper. The pile contained the same number as the supposed human sparkling replicas.

Sideswipe picked one up and examined it.

“Are we suppose to be able to read this?” Sideswipe asked as tilted his head to the side and squinted his optics.

“Dear Mr. or Ms. Autobots” Sideswipe read through squinted optics as he slowly sounded out what was written on a page. 

Whatever that meant.

"Are you Mr? Or am I Mr?" He asked his twin.

"Whatever, lets just line them up on you, take an image capture, and be done with it.” Sunstreaker grumbled, not even attempting to read the notes with malformed letters of one of the human’s alphabets. 

He tossed the human sparkling replica he had been barely holding between two digits carelessly back on the table.

A word on the note Sideswipe held caught his optics.

"Sparkles." He read.

“What?" 

He turned the note around for Sunstreaker to see and pointed at the designation scrawled at the bottom of the note with an extended digit.

"Asma likes sparkles.” Sideswipe tapped the human sparkling’s designation then the word sparkles.

Sideswipe shuffled a few of the notes apart and scanned them.

"So?" Sunstreaker huffed as he crossed his arms over his chestplate.

“And so does Henry.” Sideswipe stated as he stroked his chinplate for a moment.

He turned suddenly and dug through some of the datapads on their workbench. 

He located the correct one and held up it up for the inspection of his twin, a sly smile on his faceplate.

“Remember this?” 

Sunstreaker’s optics scanned the contents then he reached down to the table and spread out a few more notes. 

He scanned their contents too. 

A grin that would cause most Decepticons to retreat spread across his faceplate as he looked up and met Sideswipe’s optics. 

"Sierra's favourite colour is green. And Jack's is purple.” He observed.

————————

"Quick Sunny, take a capture!” 

Ironhide stood stunned, resetting his optics as a cloud of glittering green and purple swirled around him. 

Green glitter continued to trickle to the floor from his left canon. Purple from his right.

Sideswipe was holding out paper replicas of the human sparklings Asma, Henry, Jack and Sierra, in front of the scene. 

"Got it.” Sunstreaker affirmed.

Sideswipe stuffed the paper human sparklings back into his subspace and they transformed in unison, peeling out of the Training Room to the sound of an enraged Ironhide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The other stories I've been working on are incredibly emotionally straining for me so I write these silly things to dig myself out of the emotional pit I put myself into. 
> 
> Hopefully they perk up a few reader's day.


	3. Troublemaker

"Worth it." Sideswipe said from his cell in the brig as he lay back with his servos linked behind his head.

He spent a few moment replaying the scene in his processor and he snickered.

"What else do the human sparklings like?” Sunstreaker inquired.

He had already taken a similar pose to his twin and turned his helm to glance toward him.

Sideswipe reached into his subspace and pulled out a note.

"Oliver says he's a trouble maker..."

Sunstreaker searched through the paper replicas stored in his subspace until he found the one designated Oliver.

They took turns posing with Oliver in the brig.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not certain if their teacher is going to like that photo but I bet Oliver will.


	4. Chapter 4

"Run Sunny!"

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker tore out of the Medbay.

Ratchet chased after them cursing and wielding a wrench.

————————

"Explain why you felt the need to fill one of Ratchet's drawers with terrain insects.”

"Ladybugs." Sunstreaker corrected as he crossed his arms over his chestplate.

Prowl looked at him and reset his optics.

“ _And_ grasshoppers.” Sideswipe added as he took his best Sunny pose to match his brother.

They stood there in front of Prowl’s desk as if identifying their creatures justified their actions.

Prowl assigned them clean up detail.

When the Twins returned back to their quarters they pulled out the list they had complied and checked two things off:

_Cameron likes insects._  
_Hailey likes ladybugs._

The twins made optic contact and in unison gave each other a nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoy picturing the look on Ratchet's face when he opens a drawer and grasshopper and ladybugs swarm out of it.


	5. Dinosaurs

"Why him Sideswipe stick tiny pictures to him Swoop?” Swoop was trying his best to hold perfectly still but he kept crossing his optics to try and see the tiny paper sparkling on his beak.

To be fair, Sideswipe wasn’t just sticking paper sparkings on Swoop, he and Sunstreaker were sticking the entire class all over _all_ the Dinobots.

“Well you see, apparently you guys were exempt from the Human Outreach Initiative, and that’s just not fair right?” Sideswipe said as he adjusted Mohammad on Swoop's wing.

“All Autobots do project, we Dinobots Autobots too.” Sludge stated.

“You got it Sludge buddy.” Sideswipe took a step back to admire his work.

“Besides, half the class apparently _loves_ dinosaurs.” Sunstreaker said as he positioned Victor just so on one of the upright plates on Snarl’s back.

“You Sideswipe and Sunstreaker’s class loves us Dinobots?” Grimlock asked as stopped turning in a circle to look at the paper human on his tail.

“They sure do Big Guy, apparently human sparkings are huge fans, now hold still.”

Sideswipe and his brother backed away from the Dinobots and admired their work. Sunstreaker took a step forward to fiddle with a few more until he deemed it perfect.

The twins had spent all day detailing and polishing the Dinobots for their photoshoot. Sunstreaker refused to stick their tiny paper sparklings on dirty and scuffed plating.

He stored them in his subspace afterall, he justified. 

“Alrighty” Sideswipe said while he clapped his servos once together in satisfaction when Sunstreaker stepped back to join him.

“Why don't you shoot some flames for the camera Big Boys?”

————————

“Okay so maybe flames were a bad idea.” Sideswipe said as he rubbed the back of his neckplating while walking backward in front of his twin.

He was looking at the singed paper human sparkling in his servo and feeling surprisingly guilty.

“I don’t know about that Sides, the picture looks great.” Sunstreaker turned the datapad around for Sideswipe to see.

It did look pretty epic.

“And Miko only got a little singed. I’m sure she won’t mind.” Sunstreaker stated as he turned the datapad back toward himself and scrolled through the image captures they had taken so far.

“You’re right. How many human sparklings get to ride a T-Rex?” Sideswipe agreed and spun on his heel strut so he was walking beside his brother.

He propped the paper human sparkling named Miko up on one of Sunstreaker’s shoulderplates.

Sunstreaker was absorbed in looking through the image captures on the datapad and didn’t notice.

Perceptor was coming out of his lab as they walked by and gave them an odd look.

Sideswipe just flashed him a cheeky grin and waved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are definitely right Sunstreaker. Miko won't mind at all.


	6. Planes and Judo

"Hey Sunny! Don't Harvey and Karen like planes?" Sideswipe called across the battlefield as he dodged missile fire.

Sunstreaker's faceplate morphed into a malicious smile and he punched out Barricade then left his assigned position to join his brother despite Prowl's protests over the comms.

"They sure do, and Annalise does judo.” He said as he slid in behind his twin.

Sunstreaker reached into his subspace after helping to launch Sideswipe up toward the Seekers.

He located Harvey, Karen and Annalise then joined him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now those would make some good pictures.


	7. Spark Split Trees

"I didn't know trees got that big.” 

Sideswipe’s helm was tipped as far back as it could go as he made his observation.

“I mean, both of us together can’t even stretch our arms around it, Sunny.”

Sunstreaker traced a servo lightly on a burn scar that had hollowed out half the tree from the inside. 

The tree thrived despite the damage.

“Looks like it’s been through a lot.” Sideswipe observed as he stuck his helm inside.

“A survivor.” Sunstreaker stated with quiet respect. 

Sunstreaker withdrew his servo then stood with his arms crossed over his chest plate as he considered a sign by his pedes.

He frowned then searched the ground, bent down and picked something up.

A small brown pod no bigger than a few inches was held delicately between two digits as he examined it then tossed it to Sideswipe.

“That sign says some grow from something as small as this.”

Sideswipe examined the cone.

“No way, serious?” His optics lit up as he held it out in comparison to the tree in front of him.

“Most grow from the roots of mature trees. Duplicates, networked together, sharing the same root system - and resources.”

Sideswipe went still as he considered the trees surrounding them.

“Spark-split trees.” He said quietly to himself in awe but Sunstreaker heard him anyway.

The stood in silence for a few moments then Sideswipe turned towards him.

"Think Jacob and Lindsay will like them?" He asked with a tinge of hesitancy shooting through their bond, it was almost timid.

"Well they said they like nature." Sunstreaker shrugged but pulsed back his own uncertainly to his twin.

They set up a digital image capture device they had Wheeljack manufacture for them then set the timer.

Standing in front of the tree, the bulk of both of them didn’t obscure the entire view of the trunk behind them.

Sunstreaker placed the paper replica of Trevor on his shoulder and Sideswipe placed Lindsay on the top of his helm.

Sideswipe slung his arm around his brother’s shoulder with a goofy smile and held up the sequoia redwood cone in front of one optic while Sunstreaker stood with his arms cross over his chestplate - a small uptick on the corner of his mouth.

Picture taken, they spent a few more breems wandering about the giants careful not to crush their shallow root system beneath their pedes.

:Sideswipe and Sunstreaker report: Prowl’s voice interrupted over comms.

:No sign of the Constructicons: Sideswipe responded.

:Regroup at the following coordinates:

They took a few more moments to take in the trees and silence of the grove before they transformed and left to meet up with the others.

The twins drove in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this one went sad.
> 
> This is the first photo they have sent the class of both of them together and they are uncertain because now they suddenly seem to care if the kids might like them or not.
> 
> Scarred survivors themselves from their time as Gladiators, and negative lore surrounding spark split twins leaves them uncertain if they'll be accepted. 
> 
> They don't really know what they are feeling.


	8. Pizza Party

"You want to explain what this edible oil product is doing gumming up your transformation seems? Primus it’s everywhere, is that meat? What did you two idiots do?” Ratchet was ranting as he took off plating to reveal wires oozing in the stuff.

"It's pizza.” Sideswipe supplied helpfully, his attention was locked on watching Ratchet peel his twin’s upper leg plating from his frame.

Ugh. Gross. It _was_ everywhere.

Sunstreaker sat in front of him on a Medberth, servos gripping the edge tight, frame tense and he was pointedly not looking at what Ratchet was revealing.

"What in Primus' name is _pizza_?” Ratchet grunted as he slopped out some of the mess and tossed it into a bucket with a wet splat.

Sideswipe saw his twin shudder at the noise it made but he kept his focus locked on a corner of the Medbay.

"It's the preferred fuel of human sparklings.” Sideswipe answered distractedly. His brother was taking this surprisingly well.

Or maybe he was in shock.

"And _why_ is it all over your seams?” Ratchet held up the armor plating he had removed and shoved it in Sideswipe’s field of view, blocking his view of his yellow ticking time bomb.

He batted the plating out of the way with a huff and snapped, "well we didn't plan to be attacked by the command Seeker trine when driving back to the Ark for our pizza party.” 

Those fragging Seekers had ruined their evening. Most of the human sparklings loved pizza and Sideswipe was planning to tile the floor outside Prowl’s office with it.

And of course they were going to take pictures with their paper human sparklings.

The fragging jets ruined it. Sunstreaker would never agree to another one after this.

"You transformed with human sparkling fuel in your cab.“ Ratchet deadpanned with a raised brow ridge.

"Don't remind me. We still have to go pick up chocolate" Sunstreaker grimaced through clenched denta and his servos clenched tighter on the Medberth.

Sideswipe perked up at his twin’s sudden self inclusion in the conversation.

Maybe the plan was still on.

Sunstreaker was still pointedly not looking at anything but the corner of the room.

Sideswipe probed their bond.

A smile stretched wide across Sideswipe’s faceplate.

Oh it was still on.

………

Ratchet glared at the retreating backs of the frontliners as they left his Medbay.

Sideswipe was gesturing excitedly and bumping his twin on the shoulder as he snickered out some plan.

This was the first time Ratchet could recall not having to physically chase the red hellion out of the room.

Sideswipe had even said a distracted “thanks Ratch,” then hopped away with his snarling brother.

No parting jab. No joke. That wasn’t normal.

It was disconcerting.

Sunstreaker snarling. That at least was normal.

But a small voice in Ratchet’s processor reminded him that Sunstreaker hadn’t complained about his paint once the entire time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmm edible oil products and chocolate.


	9. Colours and Magic

Hound heaved an internal sigh as Sunstreaker speed further in front of him. He always got stuck on patrol with Sunstreaker when the golden frontliner's twin was injured. Sunstreaker would be more snappish, with a shorter trigger than usual, and Hound apparently was considered safe neutral ground. He wouldn’t give into Sunstreaker’s usual barbs that became malicious when Sideswipe was in the Medbay.

Maybe I should be more mean, he thought.

Well Hound could only go so fast, and even though he strained his engine a little harder to try to keep up, there was no way he’d catch the yellow Lamborghini. They were suppose to stay together on patrol. Sunstreaker knew that.

And Hound knew that command would know Sunstreaker would leave him behind and be waiting for him. It’s like he wanted to get yelled at when his twin was hurt.

Distracted by a red tailed hawk flying overhead, Hound almost didn’t notice that Sunstreaker had slammed to a halt.

By the time Hound came up beside him, Sunstreaker had transformed to root mode and was circling around a rock then glancing up into the sky.

Hound wasn’t certain what to do. Sunstreaker was already a hair trigger away from snapping at anybot who looked at him sideways, should he ask?

Sunstreaker pulled a tiny piece of colourful organic pulp and placed it on the rock.

Then he walked around it, peering down at it. Finally he crouched down behind it, positioned it again, then glanced back up into the sky.

Okay this was weird. Hound transformed and walked closer.

"Uh Sunstreaker? Patrol?” He hazard as a prompt.

"Give me a klick.” Sunstreaker stated distractedly in response.

Hound had expected to be snapped at, so he took the lack of growl or acid in the tone as a sign it was worth the risk to probe further.

"What are you doing?” He asked.

Sunstreaker positioned the little paper…did it have a face?

"Raf likes colours." Sunstreaker responded as if that explained everything.

“Huh?" Hound was stumped.

Sunstreaker just pointed behind Hound to the sky.

"Just finding the best lighting” He responded.

Hound turned around to look in the direction Sunstreaker had pointed. Wispy clouds illuminated in brilliant pinks, reds, and orange painted across the sky. It was one of the most vibrant sunsets Hound had ever seen.

And he hadn’t even noticed it until Sunstreaker pointed it out.

—————

“I swear guys I’m not lying. Sunstreaker was playing with a paper doll.”

As much as Cliffjumper would love to believe that was true, there was no way Hound had seen what he thought he did.

“No way. I’m not buying it.” Cliffjumper sat back in his chair with his cube of energon and took a sip as he placed his pedes on the table.

Motion of something white got his attention by the open door of the Rec Room, and he sputtered. Energon shot out of his mouth across the table much to his companions dismay.

“Cliffjumper what the frag?” Brawn's protest was the loudest as he had ended up wearing most of it.

“Did…did you guys just see that?” Cliffjumper pointed to the now empty door of the Rec Room.

“See what?” Bumblebee asked.

Cliffjumper got up from his seat and scrambled to the door and poked his head out, his companions joined behind him.

A tuft of white organic hair, disappeared around a corner. The group of them follow it. When they caught up, they just stopped, stunned.

“What is a horse doing in the Ark?” Bumblebee asked.

They all turned to give Hound a pointed look.

“It wasn’t me this time guys, I swear, but I should probably check if it’s okay.” Hound approached the white horse and it snorted at him and stomped one of its front hooves.

“What’s that thing stuck to the horse’s head?” Cliffjumper asked as he pointed at a paper cone tied on with a string.

“It’s not a horse." Sideswipe's sudden voice behind them caused Cliffjumper to startle, and he turned to see Sideswipe behind them, leaning against the wall like he didn’t have a care in the world.

The red twin nodded toward the white horse wearing a paper cone, "It’s a unicorn. Obviously.” He finished as if they were the ones who had processor damage, not him.

Before any of them could offer a response, Red Alert came screaming out of the control center. He was surrounded by multicoloured flying insects, and more of them fluttered out the door behind him into the hallway.

The cloud fluttered around the group of Autobots and the white horse.

Hound held out a finger, and one landed on it. He pulled it closer and squinted his optics at it.

“Uh…Why is this butterfly wearing human organic clothing?”

They all turned to look at Sideswipe who was placing some paper back into his subspace.

Sideswipe responded with a pfff and a wave of his servo. 

“Clearly, it’s a fairy.” Then he shoved himself off the wall and walked away.

Hound looked back at the butterfly wearing a tiny dress again and called out to the retreating red frontliner.

“Why did you…how did you even-“ He cut himself off with a cycled ventilated sigh and rubbed his forehelm. “Its probably best I don’t know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took Sideswipe weeks to figure out how to take a picture of a unicorn and a fairy. He spent weeks checking zoos for them before he figured out they were human sparkling tales.


	10. Larger Than Life

Sunstreaker was cold and miserable and he made sure everyone on his team knew it.

They had reports of ‘Con activity far north in the northern hemisphere of the planet and he had been sent with Mirage’s team to investigate it.

Yes it was cold. Yes it was windy. Yes they put sand on the road for traction but at least here they didn’t use salt. Mirage had been places where they used salt on the roads to help melt the ice, and for the human cars to get a better grip on the slippery roadway surfaces. Salt was horrible for the undercarriage of their vehicle modes and could lead to rust with prolonged exposure.

Mirage thought Sunstreaker could at least be a little grateful that there wasn't any salt.

Honestly Mirage had thought that Sunstreaker would be a little less prissy in the snow but at this point Mirage didn’t think he’d ever heard him complain more about how much he hated this planet than the time they were in the desert with sand.

His only hope was that when they met up with Jazz’s team that contained Sunstreaker’s twin then _maybe_  he'd just mutter internally to his brother over their bond, instead for everyone else to hear.

“Fragging crystallized water, what kind of planet has so much water. It’s going to take weeks to get all the sand they dump on the road out of my gears.”

Sunstreaker grumbled and stomped seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were on a mission, and while he wasn’t Spec Ops, some level of stealth and professionalism was expected. And they hadn’t been on a road for hours. They had been tromping through the snow where their vehicle modes were useless. Finally they had found a frozen lake with a light dusting of snow and it was at least a little easier to walk on that, instead of through the resistance of deep snow, as long as they watched their footing and dug in the seams of their pedes to clamp hold.

“It’s fragging cold. What kind of planet gets so fragging cold.”

If he didn’t shut up soon Mirage was going to-  
  
Something white slammed into the back of Sunstreaker’s helm, then dripped down as it heated from his frame. Then Sideswipe slid by into his view with a wicked smile on his face.

"Ranjit likes snow and Katie likes skating…” Sunstreaker’s brother sang in a teasing voice as he slid past and threw another ball of snow, this one hitting his yellow twin's faceplate.

Mirage sighed. This was suppose to be a stealth mission and now Sideswipe had gone and-

Sunstreaker wiped the snow off his face to reveal a twitch of a smile at the corner of his mouth as he bent down and grabbed a servo full of snow then chased after his brother.

Standing there, watching as Sideswipe squeaked and started skating faster across the lake with his brother at his heels, Mirage was entranced. He watched as Sunstreaker finally tackled his twin into a snowbank and they wrestled in the snow, and tried to shove snow down each other’s collar faring.

“Kinda adorable ain’t it?” Jazz’s sudden voice from beside Mirage made him start. His boss was never going to let him live that down.

“They are acting like sparklings.” Mirage said with a distain that was mostly forced. He had certainly never been permitted to act like that as a sparkling, at least not where others may see.

“Don’t think those mechs ever got a chance to act like sparklings.” Jazz stated with an odd tone as they watched the Terror Twin's antics.

They watched as Sideswipe managed to squirm away from his brother and kick a wave of snow into his face, then he was off again with peels of laughter as Sunstreaker followed behind.

Mirage didn’t think he’d ever seen Sunstreaker smile so widely before; it was enchanting.

\---------------

Sunstreaker finally tackled his brother for the second time and they rolled down a hill, snow forming balls and wedging into plating. As they rolled to a stop Sideswipe gained the advantage with his twin pinned beneath him. He was about to crow out in victory when the smile on Sunstreaker’s faceplate dropped and his brother gapped with his jaw hanging open as he gazed with impossibly wide optics at something over Sideswipe’s shoulder.

“Primus Sides. Look.” Sunstreaker's tone matched the indescribable awe that he pulsed through their bond as he pointed up toward the sky.

Sideswipe tilted his helm back to looked above himself and gasped.

Ribbons of shifting green, pink, and white light danced across the night sky with a backdrop of billions of stars.

He reset his optics to take in a larger spectrum of light and rolled to his side to collapsed on his back beside his brother in the snow. They just lay there for awhile, with synchronized ventilations, fixated in wonder.

The ghostly ribbons of light undulated like a sheet in the wind across the dark expansive night sky. They were transfixed. In all their vorns they had never seen anything more beautiful.

Their sparks beat as one.

After some time they lined up the entire class of their little paper human sparklings in the snow.  Sideswipe had encased them in a protective plastic after they had dripped chocolate on a few. Some they balanced in the trees. They set up their image capture device and posed among the little paper figures, each twin balancing a few on their frame.

In their message to the class with this image they sent:

_Yukon_  
_Larger than Life._  
_Plus Grand Que Nature._

They had read that on a sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yukon  
> Larger than Life.  
> Plus Grand Que Nature.
> 
> The welcome sign when you drive into Yukon Territory.
> 
> The French directly translates to: Being larger than the natural size of a person, object etc.


	11. Sand and Songs

:Prowl to Hound.:

:Hound here:

:The humans have requested assistance in rescuing a juvenile cetacean along the Oregon coast. Seaspray has been contacted and will meet you there. Put together a team to assist you. Skyfire is standing by.:

:Understood. Hound out.:

—————————-

Hound was rushing toward the front of the Ark where Skyfire was waiting for him when Sunstreaker stepped out from an alcove and stood blocking his path, arms crossed over his chest plate, expression immovable.

Slag. Had he heard Hound said he played with paper dolls?

"Heard you are going to save a whale.” Sunstreaker stated with a narrowed optics.

“Uh yea?” Hound said, shifting uncertainly as he scanned the hall in front of him for the missing twin. 

"We want in." Hound jumped at Sideswipe’s sudden voice behind him even though he knew the other twin had to be around.

He couldn’t figure out how this related to Sunstreaker playing with paper dolls, or their revenge that Hound knew they would execute in retaliation. It’s not as if they would actually care that the whale died right, if they got in Hound’s way. Whale rescues were time sensitive. He did not have time for their pranks.

“Uh, sorry guys, I’ve already asked Trailbreaker and Beachcomber to meet up with Skyfire and I out front.” He tried to be diplomatic.

“We figured.” Sunstreaker stated with a smirk.

Hound was positive that was a threat but for the life of him -

:Uh, Hound? Beachcomber and I are kinda stuck in some kind of adhesive. Wheeljack states that he doesn’t recognize the formula, so we won’t be able to come rescue that whale. You’ll have to ask someone else.:

The expression on Hound’s face as he stared back and forth between the Terror Twins must have given away the message he had just received over comms. Sunstreaker looked smug and Sideswipe’s face was twisted in a parody of concern.

“Seems you need a team, fast.” Sideswipe stated as he slung an arm around Hound and led him to the exit of the Ark.

“Lucky for you, Hound my mech, we volunteer.”

—————————-

“It’s sand.” Sunstreaker stated with a wrinkled nasal ridge as he stood rooted at the bottom of Skyfire’s loading ramp.

“Did you think the whale would beach on a smooth, asphalt road? It’s called a _beached_ whale Sunny.” Sideswipe waved his hand to display the beach around them. “Emphasis on the _beach_.”

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to remove from your joints?” Sunstreaker sneered still refusing to budge.

“But Sunnnnnn-y, there’s a _whale_.” Sideswipe complained from his place in the sand as he threw his hands up into the air, exasperated with his twin.

“I hate to interrupt -” Both twins turned to scowl at Hound. He had been listening to their bickering since they landed and Sunstreaker saw the sand. Hound didn’t have time for this; the whale didn’t have time for this.

“- but rescuing whales is time sensitive. It’s not just that they need to stay wet, they weigh so much that their structure begins to collapse under the gravity on this planet. They live their lives in a mostly gravity free environment in the water. On land, its own weight is _killing it_.” Hound entreated with denta clenched in frustration, as he grasped at the sides of his helm. He couldn’t believe he was in this situation.

Primus, why did he agree to allow the Terror Twins to come, he thought as he looked toward the whale.

Seapray was pinging him over comms asking what was taking so long.

“You hear that Sunny? The whale might _die_.” Sideswipe whined.

And just like that, Sunstreaker steeled himself by clamping his plating down tight and with a growl from his engine, he took a deliberate step on to the sand and started marching off toward the whale as if he was going into battle.

“It better not. Sarah likes whales.” Sunstreaker grumbled as he shouldered roughly past Hound, knocking him back.

Hound stood rooted to the sand, once he caught his balance as he watched Sideswipe run to catch up with his twin.

Who was Sarah? Had Sunstreaker named his paper doll? 

Hound's concern for Sunstreaker's sanity would have to wait, but when they got back to the Ark, he was telling Ratchet. 

——————

“Did you know whales could be so huge?” Sideswipe stared raptured at the hologram Hound had produced of various species of whales.

“Makes you wonder what else lives in the human oceans.” He stated as he rested his faceplate in his hands, elbows on his knees.

Sunstreaker stood ridged in the middle Skyfire’s hold, plating flared as far from his frame as he could, trying not to move and embed the sand and - Primus - _salt water_ further into his joints.

They had had to stand in the water to help unbeach the whale as the tide came in around it. When the exhausted whale finally made it into deep enough water to be able to rock itself free of the rocky shelf with their assistance, Sunstreaker gave it a final pat along its side to wish it well.

It had met Sunstreaker’s optic with its eye and he swore it understood.

Sideswipe had apparently held out Sarah’s paper replica and taken an image with Sunstreaker waistplate deep in the salt water stroking the whale in the background.

“The kind of whale we rescued today, a Humpback whale, actually has a method of long distance communication among its species” Hound shared.

“Like internal coms or something?” Sideswipe questioned.

“No, they sing.”

“You’re joking.” Sideswipe stated with an expression that showed he clearly did not believe what Hound claimed.

“I’m not, I swear. Human researchers have recorded songs slowly passing from whale to whale around the globe. It generally takes an entire Earth year for the message to wrap around it. They don’t know what they are saying, but they have multiple songs and are constantly creating new ones that others pick up and spread. It’s really amazing.” Hound was positively vibrating as he nerded out to share his Earth nature knowledge.

“Hmmm.” Sideswipe offered in response. He had obviously glazed over at Hound’s nerding out about Humpback whale communication but continued to examine the different whale species. Then he perked up with a question. “What other big things live in the ocean Hound?”

“Well there is the colossal squid.” Hound suddenly changed his hologram to display the creature.

Sideswipe recoiled from it a fraction.

“Ew. Look at it. It’s all tentacley” Sideswipe stated as he wrinkled his nasal ridge and wiggled his digits in the air in front of him.

“Do you have any recordings?” Sunstreaker ask suddenly before he was even certain where this thought was going.

Sideswipe and Hound looked over at him like they had forgotten he was there.

“Recordings of what?” Hound asked.

“Of the songs.” Sunstreaker stated like it was obvious.

Sideswipe was giving him a weird look.

“From Humpbacks? Uh sure.” Hound offered but he glanced at Sideswipe who shrugged.

They spent the rest of the flight listening to recordings of Humpback whale songs.

Sunstreaker recorded a few to send with his note and photo to Sarah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent far too much time than was healthy debating with myself if Cybertronians would be able to actually lift up and return and adult Humpback whale to the ocean. Ultimately I had to conclude that even with a large team, if they lifted the whale it's bones would probably break under it's own weight.
> 
> They'd have to actually have something large enough to scoop up the ground underneath the whale to lift it and return it to the ocean so, time sensitive and all, they did whale rescues how we do it, just they can help give a bit more of a push when the tide comes in to help the whale wiggle off the rocks.
> 
> So they were rescued a baby whale. It's mom was still waiting nearby, and it's all happy.


	12. When the Clouds Part

They stood post battle staring at twin multicolour ribbons arching across the sky. The Decepticons had retreated. The battle had been won.

"What are you two glitches waiting for, we are loading up to head back to the Ark.” Ratchet strode toward them with a huff.

“Rainbow." Sunstreaker nodded toward the sky. 

Sideswipe nudged Sunstreaker's shoulder with his own. "No wonder Sari likes rainbows.”

"This planet is no Cybertron." Sunstreaker responded, a small soft smile gracing his faceplate.

He retrieved a datapad from his subspace and settled his frame to sit on the ground. At the sight of the glyph on the back of the datapad Sideswipe's spark started to race. He didn't know Sunny had kept one.

“We’ll catch up Ratch.” Sideswipe turned and shooed the medic away.

Ratchet crossed his arms, focus shifting between the two of them, then cycled a ventilation in a huff.

:His processor isn’t damaged is it? He’s been acting weird and I’m not the only one to notice.: Ratchet questioned privately on the comms to Sideswipe.

Sideswipe looked to his side to take in the sight of his twin, sitting in the recently wet drench ground, oblivious to the mud that splattered up his backplate and seeped into transformation seams as a soft rain drizzled down.

The sun broke through the clouds in the valley below, the double rainbow arching across the sky with the mountains behind.

A feeling of focused contentment Sideswipe had not felt since they had lost Sunstreaker’s tiny studio in a Decepticon bombing attack at the beginning of the war flowed through their bond and into his spark. Sideswipe smiled a soft smile of his own. 

:Naw Ratch, he’s fine.: He responded and motioned for Ratchet to leave again, this time with more urgency to his motion. 

Once Ratchet left, Sideswipe set up the image capture device slightly behind and to the side of Sunstreaker, where it could take in the view of the rainbows and the valley with Sunstreaker’s sitting form drawing on his artpad in the foreground.

Reaching into his subspace, Sideswipe retrieved Sari’s replica with careful reverence and positioned her on his brother’s shoulder facing the camera.

Sideswipe then sat himself down on the opposite side beside brother.

He rested his helm on his twin’s shoulder as he watched him create for the first time since they enlisted with the Autobots, and pressed the remote shutter to capture this moment for himself.

:He’s just inspired.:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started out being funny. Then suddenly there was backstory and then healing happened and I just went with it. 
> 
> One more chapter left.


	13. Human Outreach Initiative

Prowl stood between Optimus and Ratchet as they watched a coach bus appear in the distance. 

They were waiting outside the Ark to greet a class of human children that had been flown in to Portland. The class had apparently won a sponsorship to spend a few days at the Autobot base.

A _sleep over_ Prowl recalled the correct human term.

Jazz’s investigations behind their anonymous sponsor could only reveal that the person also donated generously to the Save the Redwoods League, and to some PhD and Masters students conducting cetacean communication, and deep sea research.

Prowl was still uncertain how precisely the sponsorship had happened since neither the Autobots nor their government allies had initiated it, but the appropriate civilian applications and forms had been filled out to perfection.

Their anonymous sponsor gained Prowl’s respect from their attention to detail alone, the generous donation added to the Autobot’s financial resources was an additional reason to be grateful.

The request had been a simple one, permit a group of school children to experience life among the Autobots for three days.

While the request was simple, the execution took a significant amount of planning among the high command.

And some human news media had arrived to capture the scene.

Jazz strolled out the door, leaned against the side of the Ark and rested one pede against the wall.  “Stop stressing Prowler, it’s gonna go great. The little kiddos are going to have a fantastic time.” 

“The Rec Room is all set up with their sleeping bags. We pushed the tables to the side. I imagine they will be excited but also terribly tired when they arrive. They’ve had a long journey and they are still so young.” Bumblebee stated a moment later from where Jazz appeared.

Jazz and Bumblebee had been assigned as the children’s primary caretakers while they were on the base. Between the two of them, they had integrated more human vocal and non-verbal language cues into their systems than the rest of the Ark combined. 

Their presence was instrumental at keeping the children at ease.

“I have every confidence that you two will keep the young children entertained, I understand a visit with Bluestreak and Hound is scheduled, and Ratchet of course.” Optimus nodded to his old friend with a small smile as he teased.

Ratchet huffed from his vents and fluffed up his plating.

Jazz pushed off from the wall and walked up to sling his arm around Ratchet.

“Well we all know Ratchet’s really just a big ol'softie for sparklings. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him so nervous - grumping around and ensuring his Medbay is all pristine.”

Ratchet batted Jazz’s arm off his shoulders.

“It helps that we waited until the Twin banes of my existence had left for their leave, and Wheeljack is watching the Dinobots.” Ratchet grumbled.

The twin’s antics had been quieter of late, and they had begun to spend more of their off hours outside the Ark rather than locked in their room with their entertainment, and plots.

Prowl resolutely did not trust it. He had been waiting for a prank to spring up until the cycle after they had left the Ark.

Regardless it was pleasant to know that the children would not encounter Autobots that may behave in an inappropriate manner, and pose a risk to their safety.

"The children are not unfamiliar with Cybertronians. We partnered with this class eight human months ago with our Human Outreach Initiative." Prowl added.

"Oh? Who was their partnered Autobot for the project. We should ensure the are available to greet them.” Optimus added with interest.

"I do not recommend it. The Twins were assigned the project. Plus we have ensured they are on leave for good reason.” Prowl supplied.

Prowl's sensor panels always raised a touch higher, went a touch stiffer when he mentioned their resident pranksters. 

"You do not feel they did an adequate job?" Optimus had a way of making a mech feel guilty who had nothing to be guilty about with that tone.

"I inquired with the instructor when Sideswipe and Sunstreaker submitted the form that they had completed their project. Though I must say, for a simple project that should have taken a few cycles, they put it off for over half a year.” Prowl responded.

“And what did the instructor say, and why was this not mentioned sooner?” Optimus was clearly restraining himself from placing his digits over his optical ridges as he cycled a ventilated sigh; the children’s bus made its final approach.

The Human Outreach Initiative was extremely important to Optimus. He placed a high value that each Autobot should form a connection with the planet’s natives, to foster empathy and understanding for when cultures may clash.

“She stated that the children had loved it though I feel compelled to mention that in her original request she had stated extremely low expectations of only a few image captures of Autobots with some art work the children created.”

Ratchet stiffed beside him and directed his attention to Prowl at his words but the bus had arrived and the children were disembarking drawing all their attention.

“Primus, they are so small.” Ratchet stated to himself.

The children had been chattering with excitement as they stepped out of the bus but as they looked from each Autobot their faces gave way to confusion then finally disappointment.

Jazz and Bumblebee took two steps forward to greet them with open expressions when the sound of high performance engines roared from above them.

_Two of them._

Before any of them could react more than to widen their optics at each other with realization, two lamborghinis, one red, one yellow, launched from the top of the Ark that protruded from the volcano.

The children were screaming in terror as the Twins landed hard on their tires and Sideswipe slide to a stop a few feet from the children. Then transformed. Sunstreaker remained a few paces back to the side in his vehicle mode.

“Who wants pizza?” Sideswipe held a stack of boxes that must have been in his interior before he transformed.

Prowl heard Ratchet’s engine sputter.

Then the children’s screams became more coherent.

A cacophony of “There they are!” “Hi guys!” “So cool!” “Pizza!”

“Now Sideswipe, we discussed what constitutes a healthy diet for children. They can not eat pizza for three days.” The teacher had made her way though the children and paused with hand on her hip, her stare hard.

“Of course, Ms. Darby.” Sideswipe said with a tone of respect Prowl had never heard him give anyone but Optimus when Optimus used his “I’m extremely disappointed in you” voice.

Then Sideswipe’s faceplate morphed to and expression Prowl knew all too well, and his fuel tank clenched. This was it. He was springing a prank, the human media news cameras were running. 

Prowl was rooted to his spot as his processor ran permutations for possible damage control.

“There’s also chocolate.” Sidesipe shuttered an optic at her.

And Ms. Darby laughed at Sideswipe as the students cheered and rushed toward the red frontliner, many hugging his pedes.

Some bolder children began to climb on him and he set the pizzas on the ground to help some of them scale to his shoulders. He placed one child on his helm.

A sudden revving engine roared through the scene and Prowl’s lines filled with ice as Sunstreaker made his presence known.

A little girl sitting in a chair equipped with slanted wheels approached the revving Sunstreaker and stopped inches from his hood.

She placed her hands on her hips and scowled at him.

He transformed, engine reving and stood tall in front of her. He crossed his arms over his chestplate and frowned down at her. She matched his expression as she stared up.

“You’re Miko.” He grunted.

“What of it?”

“You like to draw.”

“So?”

“You like to race.”

“Who doesn’t?” She narrowed her eyes at arguably one of the most unpredictably violent Autobots.

“How fast do you like to go?” Sunstreaker mimicked her expression with narrowed optics of his own.

“How fast you got?” She raised her chin and challenged with a smile that set Prowl’s fuel pump racing to catch up as his fuel tank clenched. He knew that smile.

Sunstreaker lowered himself to meet her challenge, optics to eyes and revved his engine again.

“I wanted to take your image in person.”

Then with a gentleness that defied his tone and posturing, he withdrew a paper replica of the child from his subspace that looked slightly burnt, recognizable by the pink hair tips on the drawing that matched the child, followed by a helmet that he set in her lap.

She rapidly shoved the helmet on her head then punched a fist into an open palm.

“Let’s do this.”

The yellow frontliner’s faceplate spread with a smile that matched the Miko’s - the one that had caused Prowl’s moment of terror as he came to that moment of realization.

Sunstreaker lifted her into his servo then transformed around her. His driver’s side window was down and Miko could be seen with her hands around Sunstreaker’s steering wheel. The child flipped down her visor on her helmet as Sunstreaker’s engine gave a rev.

Tires spinning as Sunstreaker accelerated, a cloud of dust billowing out behind him, he spun out twice in tight circles then then took off, engine roaring, toward the road he and Sideswipe often used for their prohibited racing.

Prowl’s sensor panels twitched. 

There was another one. Just like them. For three human days.

As he stood there calculating how horrific his life was about to become the ground started vibrating with thunderous booms.

No. 

No. Wheeljack was-

With a roar the Dinobots came running out the Ark. 

All the children screamed, and squealed out the Dinobot's names, jumping and waving at them in excitement. 

The squealing got even louder when the Dinobots started shooting flames.

And Optimus Prime was positively beaming beside him, Ratchet was laughing about paper dolls, Jazz and Bumblebee joined in helping Sideswipe put the children on the backs of the Dinobots and none of them seemed to see what Prowl could see in his calculations for the next three cycles.

Primus help them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sunstreaker started to paint again and Sideswipe started to sell them again. He has his art exhibited around the planet and Sideswipe used the funds and meticulously fill out the forms to make the donation to the Autobots (among their other donations).
> 
> Miko’s “flat friend” had been included in a few group shots but Sunstreaker wanted to meet the human sparkling who had wheels, liked to draw, and liked to race in person.
> 
> He knew she'd be tough, and wouldn't mind getting a little singed.  
> \------  
> Prowl has also realized that Sideswipe has funds, and knows how much he loves online shopping.


End file.
